Acclaimed Japanese Chef Yuki Onishi opened his ramen shop in Tokyo, Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta, with the conviction that “ramen is a noodle dish that Japan is proud of.” His was the first ramen shop to ever earn a Michelin star.
Onishi, who passed away suddenly last year at age 43, believed there is no perfect bowl of ramen — only a delicacy that’s constantly more delicious than before.
The new JINYA Ramen Bar in the Spring Branch Management District is the 55th location in the franchise, but it’s not necessarily an identical version: Local operator Long Lee said he and his partner believe in the Japanese concept of “kaizen,” the pursuit of constant improvement.
Lee said he and Keith Huang aim to give customers an authentic Japanese ramen house experience.
Indeed, as you walk into JINYA at 8139 Long Point Rd. in the Spring Branch Village shopping center, you are greeted with “Irasshaimase!” from the staff in unison, meaning “Welcome, please come in!”
JINYA Spring Branch is the ninth JINYA restaurant in the Houston area, with two more in Texas. A second JINYA is now in the works for Dallas.
The lifeblood of any restaurant is regular customers, and Lee said Spring Branch is full of dedicated JINYA Ramen Bar fans.
“Spring Branch is one of the fastest-growing and most-desired zip codes in the city. We struck ground on this location as soon as we learned it was available and never looked back,” Lee said.
“The response has been very positive, especially from locals who had been asking us to build a JINYA in Spring Branch for years. We are beyond grateful for the love and support,” he added.
Ramen culture is serious business, with the relationship between broth and noodles being key. No matter the broth base, it needs to be rich and flavorful and in perfect balance with the noodles.
At JINYA, you can easily forget you are in a chain restaurant — or in Spring Branch, for that matter — because when that ramen hits your table, you are instantly transported to another time and place.
Maybe JINYA’s ramen isn’t Michelin-star worthy, but it’s definitely slurp-worthy. And slurp you must. Ramen needs to be eaten when it’s hot, and slurping allows you to do that by drawing in air for cooling.
JINYA has a wide variety of ramen choices with authentic toppings — from braised pork belly (Chashu) to shrimp wonton.
And there is something for everyone. There is vegan miso broth with Impossible meat made from plants for your vegans, rice bowls and curry for those who prefer not to slurp, salads and even mini tacos. Kids can get a taste of their first chicken ramen, but for finicky eaters the kids’ meal also comes with crispy chicken and sweet potato fries, candy and ice cream.
The adults get treats, too. There is mochi ice cream but also an extensive bar with cocktails, wine, Japanese and local beer and, of course, sake.
We started our meal with a shared plate — Takoyaki — a ball-shaped Japanese snack in this case filled with octopus and served over egg tartar topped with Kewpie mayonnaise, Okonomiyaki sauce, fresh cut green onion and smoked bonito (fish) flakes. Not a ball — six of them in total — was spared.
Takoyaki is a popular street food, and the ones at JINYA are served on sticks. Will we be seeing these at the rodeo soon?
We continued our meal with ramen, of course, and sampled both JINYA Tonkotsu Black and Tonkotsu Spicy. Both feature a pork broth base and pork Chashu topping.
The Tonkotsu Black also features a seasoned egg and a whole lot of other ingredients including kikurage (wood ear), green onion, nori (dried seaweed), garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion and spicy sauce. Served with thin noodles, this dish is all about the intensely flavored sauce.
The Tonkotsu Spicy is spicy, of course, but you can choose your level from mild to hot. We loved the thick noodles, which were in perfect balance with the rich sauce.
During our visit, there was a steady stream of customers including couples, solo diners at the bar and large families.
JINYA CEO and Founder Tomo Takahashi was quoted as saying on franchising.com that opening in the Spring Branch District seemed a logical choice.
He said: “Houston has already shown so much love for JINYA, so it seemed right to open a new location in one of the city’s suburban neighborhoods with a community that is so diverse.”
JINYA Ramen Bar Spring Branch
8139 Long Point Rd.
www.jinyaramenbar.com
281.888.5199
— by Dorothy Puch Lillig
